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Jefferson County, Knox Bearden, and William Blount all were not very good this season. I don't think that will continue. I liken it to playing the lower level SEC teams, they may not be as good as those at the top, but they're still competitive and will give a good team a scare or an upset every now and then. We'll see, we'll see.
Also, I'll say this, it makes me a lot more interested in going to every home game next year than it did the last four years.

Focusing on what returns and what will change personnel wise. I'm aware our stable of running backs returns, Dunn, Thompson, and Russell are a solid trio. Quarterback I assume will go to Maupin. Offensively who steps up on the offensive line and at receiver. I believe both units were senior laden.
Defensively...is there anybody to step up and play defensive line? Do we have any big uglies? Any young linebackers who can fill the void? Same for the secondary? I know most will say coaching, coaching, coaching, but I'm asking more about players here.

South will come back to the pack after this year so I don't see that happening. Tennessee High or Greeneville I could see, but we'll have to wait to find out I guess. It'd be a good gate for either team and a local trip as opposed to another far reaching one.

I wonder if the TSSAA decided that having the 32 largest enrollments classed together and guaranteed a playoff spot would allow for more interesting match ups. I realize there are the haves and have nots of even the largest enrollment schools, but it seems to me that in the four distinct regions in 6A there are the Alabamas, Florida State's, and Oregon's as well as the Vanderbilt's, Indiana's, and Colorado's, not to mention the middle tier teams. All that said, the playing field for these 32 is about as even as it can be, regardless of how well the feeder programs feed their respective schools.
I know from my standpoint, a Dobyns-Bennett fan, the match ups we will have in our own Region are far more interesting than the Daniel Boone's, David Crockett's, Volunteers, and Sullivan Central's of our former district model. The guaranteed playoff spot has allowed us to go out and find strong non-conference games to hopefully battle test the young men before the playoffs start. Yes, I understand everyones argument about added distance, added cost, gate loses and the like. I think J.Fred will see more local fans (Kingsport, greater Kingsport) for a home game under this new set up than the old set up. Bearden was bad this year (I realize they will surely rebound) and Sullivan Central was terrible (I know it was a road game this year, but you know what I mean). I think more fans would show up for a bad Bearden team than even a good Sullivan Central team. Perception to a fan can be a lot. Fans are also smart enough to realize a school with a 1,750+ enrollment HAS to have some athletes on the field. For DB I think this new plan is a good thing, for everybody else.
I'm honestly in favor of the 5A model, but it seems like the TSSAA caught wind of Mike Slive and others talking about breaking away from the rest (old AAA, Z-Plan model), separating the wheat from the chaff (highest enrollment from lower enrollments, the only way they can logically separate) and seeing how it plays out. I wonder if they streamed all 6A games online, or broadcast them on local cable in the areas they are being played if they could make money and share the wealth due to the added costs of being a 6A school.
Just a few incomplete thoughts I had, want your thoughts on this stuff gentlemen.